As part of its drive to create 50,000 jobs in the non-oil sector, the Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has signed 15 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with a large number of public and private industry partners.
Along with the industry partners, PDO is sponsoring the vocational training of 1,200 young Omanis as the Sultanate steps up its efforts to support the government and spur economic diversification in the Sultanate.
The jobseekers will be guaranteed full-time employment on successful completion of their training in a variety of key economic sectors, including industrial development, real estate, hospitality and fashion.
The MoUs include commitments for; a total of 500 training-for-employment opportunities with the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates for technical disciplines such as welding, carpentry and scaffolding; 150 jobs for women at the ark garment manufacturing clothing factory in Salalah; 137 posts with nine of the Sultanate’s leading hotels for work as chefs, food service assistants, receptionists and front office staff.
Besides 112 employment opportunities with steel manufacturing company Hadid Majan, engineering firm Descon, and a joint venture between energy infrastructure services giant CB&I and engineering, procurement and construction concern CTCI, for trades such as electricians, scaffolders, pipefitters, welders and mechanics.
PDO also signed a MoU with the Oman Real Estate Association to up-skill 300 real estate brokers so they can be officially certified and licenced by the ministry of housing, enabling them to hire more staff.
The training programmes will have a span of 6-18 months, depending on the profession being pursued. Once the courses, a mixture of practice and theory, have been successfully completed they will be qualified at international standards.
The employment initiative was sealed at an official signing ceremony between leading representatives of the participating organisations and PDO Managing Director Raoul Restucci at PDO’s Knowledge World Centre in Al Qurum.
Restucci said, “Over the next three years, PDO will be actively targeting and supporting the creation of many thousands of job and training opportunities for Omani jobseekers, both in the oil and gas industry and beyond, as the Sultanate diversifies its economy.”
